Zachary Taylor (#12)

Zachary Taylor (1784–1850) was the 12th President of the United States and one of the most unlikely men ever to hold the office. A career soldier who had never voted in a presidential election, he was recruited by the Whig Party after his spectacular victories in the Mexican-American War — particularly at Buena Vista, where he defeated a Mexican force four times larger than his own. His nickname 'Old Rough and Ready' reflected both his battlefield style and his lack of political polish.

Taylor died in office on July 9, 1850 — just 16 months into his presidency — most likely from gastroenteritis after consuming contaminated food at a Fourth of July ceremony. His presidency was dominated by the escalating crisis over slavery in the new territories won from Mexico. Ironically, despite being a Louisiana slaveholder himself, Taylor firmly opposed the extension of slavery into the new western territories and threatened to personally lead the army against any state that attempted secession. His death brought Millard Fillmore to the presidency and fundamentally altered the trajectory of the slavery debate.